Calling Lady Gaga’s second studio album, “Born This Way,” a pop album is a bit of a stretch. Listeners will hear techno fused with a mariachi band, Goth rock mashed with funky beats, electric guitar over smooth jazz and so much bass that it shakes the room if loud enough.

Gaga promised something different for her fans and she provided it. The album is a roller coaster ride of throbbing dance beats and chilling instrumentals. It kicks off with “Marry the Night,” which opens with haunting organ-like keys and ends with the anthemic “The Edge of Glory.”

Some songs can be preachy and others extremely juvenile, but the album as a whole flows together in a cohesive stream.

The high points of the album include, “Americano,” “Scheiße,” and “Bloody Mary.” They’re definitely stark contrasts to each other, but powerful in their own ways. From preaching about illegal immigration to women’s empowerment to creating your own fantasy world, these songs present a small peek into the very strange mind of the woman who calls herself “Mother Monster.”

The weakest songs are easily “Born This Way,” “Hair,” and “Fashion of His Love.” In her attempt to get her various points across, Gaga comes off too literal and mildly foolish. Some songs sound like they were written by Paula Abdul and others feel like they were ripped from a Tori Amos-Madonna mashup.

The biggest issue with a majority of the tracks on the album is that they’re not fit for radio play.This album is Gaga’s manifesto and she shows that through the tough topics in the album. She even attempts three different languages besides English to show how much she cares. She experiments so much with her vocals that it ensures that every song sounds different than the one before it.

If someone prefers peppy, party songs about getting drunk and dancing in a club they might want to look elsewhere.

This album is a different kind of poison.